Recover from identity theft

Emergency help: If there is an immediate threat to life or risk of harm, call 000.

Identity theft explained

Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information and pretends to be you. They may use your identity to steal money or gain other benefits. 

Cybercriminals may create fake identity documents to:

• receive payments
• make purchases 
• travel overseas. 

This can cause serious financial harm and damage your reputation.

Learn more about identity theft.

Signs you may be affected

Someone may have stolen your identity if you:  

• notice unusual activity on your bank statements or credit history report 
• notice identity documents are missing, such as your passport or driver licence 
• stop getting mail at your address 
• receive contact from debt collectors about purchases or loans you didn’t make 
• get notified by government agencies about benefits you didn’t apply for 
• find out your details were leaked in a data breach. 

If this is happening now 

You can reduce the harm by acting quickly. 

Secure your finances

To secure your finances, you can:

• check your bank, credit card and financial accounts for transactions you don’t recognise
• contact your bank immediately if you notice suspicious activity so they can block, freeze or investigate it
• report financial scams, including superannuation or cryptocurrency scams, to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Secure your accounts

To secure your accounts, you can:

• switch to passkeys when available as they are a more secure way to log in to your online accounts than using passwords
• change your passwords by using a strong, unique password for every account
• turn on multi-factor authentication to make it harder for someone to access your accounts
• check for signs of account compromise and secure any affected accounts
• change your password if an organisation you use experiences a data breach.

What to do next

Take these extra steps to reduce the impact of identity theft. 

Secure your identity

Get help and advice by contacting IDCARE. 

IDCARE is Australia and New Zealand’s national identity and cyber support service. An identity and cyber security case manager can:

• help you create a response plan for your situation
• support you through the process. 

You can also visit the Attorney-General’s Department website to apply for a Commonwealth Victims’ Certificate. This certificate can:

• support your claim that you’re a victim of identity theft
• help you reset your details with government agencies, banks and other organisations.

Secure your credit 

Ask for a free credit report from a credit reporting agency. If you don’t recognise something, dispute it. If concerned, apply for a credit ban to stop someone from opening lines of credit in your name. 

Visit the IDCARE website for more advice on credit reports and credit bans.

Check for unusual activity 

Cybercriminals might not use your personal information right away. Regularly check your accounts for unusual activity or messages. If you act quickly, this can reduce any damage.

Replace stolen documents

To find out how to replace stolen identity documents, refer to the advice for your state or territory: 

• Australian Capital Territory 
• New South Wales 
• Northern Territory 
• South Australia 
• Tasmania 
• Queensland 
• Victoria 
• Western Australia. 

If you lose your passport or it gets stolen, you must tell the Australian Passport Office. Visit  lost and stolen passports.

How to get help and report

You should report identity theft to the relevant organisations as soon as possible.

• Submit a report to us through ReportCyber. 
• If the identity theft was caused by an online scam, report it to ScamWatch.
• If the identity theft involves your tax file number or other tax details, contact the Australian Taxation Office. 
• If the identity theft involves financial fraud, such as superannuation or crypto scams, report it to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. 

We understand how distressing scams can be. If you want to talk to someone, call our hotline on 1300 CYBER1 (1300 292 371). We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Stay protected

Learn more about how to stay protected through our personal cyber security handbook.

More support

• IDCARE
• Beyond Blue